“Laws that are esoteric, then became exoteric when they become known.”
The essence of magic is not white or black, good or evil, but totally and utterly neutral, detached and impersonal. It is a force that one can use for doing good or evil.
There seem to be something that Agrippa, Ficino, and Picatrix etc. all missed or maybe deliberately did not mention in their writings. Every action you take has its own consequences which will come upon you whether you are prepared or not. Practitioners of magick generally believe whatever you do will be returned to you - “as ye sow, so shall ye reap”. Karma, the law of cause and effect, is one law which everything in our world must live by. I wonder if the ancient occult philosophers really believe that planetary magick does not incur bad karma simply because they think the power bestowed by the planets is natural, and this is why they called planetary magick “natural magick”? You make a talisman for great fortune at the time when there are best indications in the sky, but on the other side, do you really think there are no consequences for pushing your luck, stealing from the gods?
The easiest way to incur bad karma for oneself is to use Magick, for evil purposes. You think you can interfere with free will and you think you can interfere with other people’s destiny? playing God? Seeking vengeance? Or even for other childish reasons? Then be prepared for the unexpceted consequences. For once in my life, I am glad to watch someone fall into the pitless abyss beyond redemption.
Between the two extremes of Black and White, there are thousands of shades of Grey.